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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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He wasn’t from this world. And he had suffered enough at the hands of its inhabitants in the previous iteration to be indifferent.
‘And in a way, it was their own fault.’
They had been misled and ignorant. However, the dragons had acted to protect the continent, and humans had hunted them.
Of course, they had done it to survive, and as the dragon had said, it was their mistake, their fault.
‘Most ordinary people were simply caught in the crossfire.’
-Curious. I expected you to be enraged, but neither you nor the woman beside you seem affected.”
“As long as Master isn’t harmed, I don’t care about others. It’s all in the past anyway.”
He shrugged, listening to Kayla’s words.
Then, he suddenly remembered something.
“Wait a moment. Then the Barren Lands are also…?”
-Do you call it the Barren Lands now? Yes, that was my doing. I created the central hub of the gate deep underground and placed my lair above it. My original lair was elsewhere, but I had to relocate it out of necessity. My dwarven slaves toiled tirelessly for it.”
“…There’s a gate hub beneath your lair?”
He hadn’t sensed it at all.
‘I need to find and destroy it.’
As if reading his mind, the dragon spoke.
-You won’t be able to destroy the hub with your current power. However, you should be able to stop the summoning.”
“I need to know how to do that.”
That would be enough for now.
-I was just about to tell you. But in exchange, help me.”
It didn’t intend to give him the information for free.
“What do you want?”
-Isn’t it obvious?”
To sever the connection to the demon realm and destroy the Church of Light.
Those were its two desires.
‘If that’s all…’
He didn’t know about the demon realm, but he was already wary of the Church of Light. If he played his cards right…
“There’s room for negotiation. Wait, but you said you were the last Guardian Dragon.”
-Indeed. They’re all dead. I was slain by a human who had surpassed the limits of their power, and the other two… were killed by a Demon King.”
“…A Demon King? What in the world happened back then?”
-All sorts of things.”
The Church of Light had started it, but the dragons had escalated the conflict.
As a result, the dragons were driven to extinction, while the Church of Light continued to thrive, even more so than before.
-I’ve already mentioned that the Black Star allied with the Church of Light.”
He had been quite surprised. It was difficult to imagine, considering their current animosity.
-The Church of Light wanted to eliminate the Earth Mother Religion, which was at its peak at the time. They secretly supported the Black Star, and the Black Star used that support to summon a Demon King.”
“…You said the Church of Light also wanted to control the continent. Why would they help summon a Demon King?”
-They both had their own agendas. The Demon King was summoned at the heart of the Earth Mother Religion. The Church of Light didn’t underestimate the Demon King, but they ended up doing so anyway.”
“They thought the Earth Mother Religion could stop the Demon King.”
He was surprised they had succeeded. Of course, considering the chaotic state of the continent at the time, it was possible.
-Indeed. They believed that by hunting my kin, the dragons, they could also control the Demon King. So they supported the Black Star, and a Demon King descended upon the continent.”
As a result, the heart of the Earth Mother Religion was completely destroyed.
-The Black Star, on the other hand, accurately assessed the Demon King’s power. They knew that as long as he was summoned, it didn’t matter where he appeared, even if it was at the heart of the Earth Mother Religion. They intended to use the Demon King’s power to rule the continent, and they nearly succeeded.”
The dragons, who had been supporting the demihumans and summoning monsters from the Great Forest to attack humans, realized their scheme too late.
They had to fight the fully summoned Demon King… and two dragons died as a result.
-If it hadn’t been for the concentrated power of the Earth Mother Religion at their headquarters, and if the Church of Light, finally realizing the true extent of the Demon King’s power, hadn’t supported us, the continent would have fallen into the hands of the demon realm. I would have died there as well.”
However, they had succeeded in defeating the Demon King, and with his demise, the Black Star fled.
-If there had been any survivors, they would have come for me next. But there were none.”
Those who had fought the Demon King were dead, and the Black Star had fled, so naturally, no one came to attack him.
He suddenly remembered the diary he had found in the temple of the Earth Mother Religion.
‘They were treated like demons and witches…’
And there were records of suspected assassinations.
The Church of Light was responsible…
‘They pinned everything on them.’
The Earth Mother Religion had suffered the most from the summoning of the Demon King, yet somehow, they were blamed for everything.
‘Well, if their headquarters were destroyed and there were no survivors, they wouldn’t have been able to defend themselves.’
According to the diary, some members, like a candidate for Pope and a Saintess, had survived, but they hadn’t been able to effectively counter the accusations.
-And I… was slain by a human. I returned here after defeating the Demon King. I was injured, but I had to continue my duty. However, it seems someone noticed my return.”
It matched the account in Septran’s diary, which contained about a month’s worth of entries.
He had discovered the dragon and entered its lair alone to slay it.
He had written that if he failed, there would be no second chance, and considering the dragon’s actions, he understood why.
-He came looking for me, knowing he might die. He was a human who had surpassed his limits. If I had been at full strength, it wouldn’t have mattered, but as I said, I was injured, and he succeeded in severing my head.”
However, Septran had also died in the process.
-I tried to reason with him, but it was no use.”
“Of course not.”
At that time, dragons were synonymous with disaster and demons.
-But I couldn’t die. If I died, the continent would be doomed. I had to prevent the Church of Light from spreading its influence any further.”
As the dragon’s long story concluded, a question arose.
“But if I’m not mistaken, about two hundred years have passed since your death. Why hasn’t the Church of Light achieved its goal yet?”
Summoning a Demon King wasn’t difficult.
Of course, the chaotic state of the continent at the time had made it easier, but even in times of peace, if there was a group of warlocks as powerful as the current Holy Empire – though they would likely self-destruct – summoning a Demon King wouldn’t take more than five years.
However, the Holy Empire, despite its power and influence, hadn’t managed to connect to the ‘Heaven’ the dragon had spoken of in over two hundred years.
It was strange.
-It’s simple. Demon Kings cross over themselves and then connect the dimensions, but that insidious and repulsive Goddess is unwilling to take such a risk.”
“Hmm…”
-To connect dimensions without crossing over, she needs to control at least seventy, no, eighty percent of the continent. You said it’s currently divided into three powers? That’s not nearly enough.”
Moreover, it considered demihumans inefficient and believed they needed to be eliminated.
‘That’s why they were so hostile towards the Demihuman Alliance.’
He understood.
They had intended to eradicate the Six-Kingdom Alliance from within and the Demihuman Alliance through open warfare.
‘That’s why the two forces will clash in the future.’
They must have clashed in the past as well.
However, things wouldn’t go so smoothly this time.
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The dragon’s long story had ended, but Kayla’s doubts remained.
“Even if they adopted a more subtle approach afterwards, it’s strange that so much of their history has been erased.”
-I can’t answer that.”
Of course, the dragon couldn’t know. It had been dead, its remains left in a miserable state.
While it might know about the past, it couldn’t know about the present or the two hundred years that followed.
“I’ll agree to the deal. And though you wouldn’t know, the world is moving in the direction you desire.”
He informed the dragon about the revival of the Earth Mother Religion and the high probability of an alliance between the Six-Kingdom Alliance and the Demihuman Alliance.
For the dragon, the idea of humans, whom it had tried to eradicate, joining forces with the Demihuman Alliance to weaken the Holy Empire would have been unimaginable.
-That’s… good news.”
“I don’t know if the kingdoms know about what you’ve told me.”
Considering Kayla’s question, the Holy Empire and the Demihuman Alliance likely knew the true history, but he wasn’t sure about the Six-Kingdom Alliance.
‘Perhaps they discussed it during their recent meeting.’
He would have to investigate later.
There were more pressing matters.
“First, I need to know how to stop that damned gate. Does it activate at regular intervals?”
-To be precise, it activates when the number of monsters in this area falls below a certain threshold. It takes some time to activate, so it doesn’t happen instantly.”
As he had suspected, reducing the monster population had been the trigger, both in the past and now.
The fact that it didn’t activate immediately was something he had deduced from House Lineta’s temporary occupation of the Barren Lands after clearing them.
“I’ll have to go back to your lair to stop it, won’t I?”
-Indeed.”
“This is such a pain.”
It seemed he would have to reduce the monster population, strengthen his defenses, and then deal with the gate.
“Can you really do nothing?”
It was highly likely, but he was desperate enough to ask.
-I can’t do anything in my current state.”
“Then why did you choose to survive in such a form? You must have had a reason.”
-I had hoped the Dragonians would find me. But they haven’t. I originally intended to use their bodies to resurrect myself.”
He had wondered if that was possible, but the dragon was a dragon.
It wouldn’t have clung to life in such a state if it wasn’t possible.
-However, it seems the Dragonians haven’t found this place. At least they seem to be fulfilling their duty.”
To oppose the Holy Empire. If that was their duty, they were certainly fulfilling it.
-If all else failed, I considered becoming an undead through you, but… you’re not powerful enough yet.”
Ironically, the dragon had voiced his own intentions.
It seemed it didn’t care about warlocks as long as they hadn’t formed pacts with demons.
‘Well, it’s not in a position to be picky.’
Besides, the Holy Empire and warlocks were natural enemies.
Even if they had once allied, the dragon knew the Holy Empire despised warlocks.
“To turn you into an undead…”
-To make it worthwhile, you would need to be at least 8th circle by human standards. You’re a special case, so it might be possible at 7th circle, but the result would be significantly weaker.”
He said he wasn’t even close to that level, which was true, so the dragon couldn’t argue.
“…I was planning to reach 7th circle while turning your body into an undead.”
-Hmm, I see. You intended to make me a Legion Commander? It might be possible if you used an artificially created, low-quality soul instead of my original one, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Instead of resorting to such brute force methods, focus on refining what you already possess. That’s the proper way.”
Surprisingly, it was referring to his usual method.
“That’s the proper way?”
-Indeed.”
“How does a dragon know about human methods?”
-Because of the Dragonians. They were influenced by dragons, but they weren’t dragons themselves, so they had to learn magic through the methods of other races. Therefore, they possess basic knowledge. And human magic was essentially established in ancient times. It has regressed since then.”
He couldn’t deny that.
Most ancient artifacts were priceless. They were far superior to modern artifacts, which spoke volumes about the difference in their magical technology.
-The variety and level of magic have diminished significantly. However, some humans still manage to establish their own path. I believe it’s because the foundational knowledge remains.”
Those who established their own path were the 7th circle mages, the Archmages.
-So instead of wasting my body on a futile attempt, focus on refining your own magic.”
“…Does it matter even if I’ve already missed my chance?”
-Hmm? Have you already reached your limit once?”
“Yes.”
-At your current level? Did you deem it too dangerous for your body? Hmm, that’s certainly a possibility.”
It seemed to be misunderstanding, but he didn’t bother correcting it.
-It’s possible. If you’re on the right path, even if you fail once, you can try again.”
He was relieved.
-You’re certainly not an ordinary human. To have already grasped the basics at your level…”
After a moment of contemplation, the dragon spoke.
-Then allow me to fill in the gaps in your knowledge.”
“Hmm?”
-Your staff. It appears to be made from the remains of my kin.”
“…….”
He couldn’t deny it.
And it must be incredibly old.
The dragon had said that most dragons had died during the giants’ invasion in ancient times, so the staff must have been made from a dragon that died around that time or even earlier.
‘And you said the demon realm fought against the celestial realm…’
He asked the dragon about the celestial realm, but it replied that the Goddess of Light had no connection to it.
It claimed the Goddess of the Earth Mother Religion was closer to the celestial realm.
‘There’s more than one dimension…’
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